SWEDISH KING AND QUEEN HAVE COVID

Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia have tested positive for COVID-19, the palace said in a statement on Tuesday, amid rising infections in the Nordic nation driven by the new Omicron variant of the virus.

Sweden set a new daily record for COVID-19 cases, the most recent data from the health agency showed on Tuesday, registering 11,507 cases on Dec. 30

The country's COVID death toll has been far higher per capita than its Nordic neighbours, which imposed tougher restrictions early in the pandemic, but lower than many European countries that locked down.

Restrictions are still relatively limited, in keeping with government policy through the pandemic of avoiding hard lockdowns.

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